I was recently at a networking event in my home town – which is not Bristol, or Exeter or Taunton!  It was Hereford and the event was the First Thursday Club

A very relaxed affair – you email your attendance in advance, arrive at the venue a bar/restaurant in town, Saxty’s.  There is no charge to attend, you do have a name badge a guest list and you buy your own drinks.  It kicks off (perhaps the wrong expression!) at 5.45pm and like any networking event if you’re there early people will gravitate to you!  It was my first visit and was unsure how things would go –  I had prepared, done my research, knew why I was going – not to promote, not to sell but to listen and share knowledge and experiences.  It was great to have the conversations which ended “thank you – I hadn’t thought of that!”

During the conversations that I had – very easy as there was a constant flow of people making their way through the throng to get to the bar – several  people asked me the following question once they knew what I did!

“Is this a good networking event?’

My answer every time was “YES”

Yes because people were having conversations, they were face to face, there was the opportunity to talk in groups, or one to one, to laugh, to shake hands, pick up on all the non verbal signs, point, gesticulate – I trust that you get the picture!

Networking is about people spending time communicating face to face and building relationships through conversations and we all know where conversations can lead to – connections and collaborations!

I trust that you find the following articles of interest and that they will be useful in any networking that you do.

Are Face-to-face meetings better for business?

25/04/2013 published on Fresh Business Thinking.com

By Daniel Hunter

Communications technology in 2013 continues to advance, affecting the way we work, shop, consume and interact. With the meteoric rise of social network sites and the ability to contact anyone in the world at the touch of a button, the need for face-to-face meetings seems to be diminishing; however new research from De Vere Hotels suggests that the ‘digital revolution’ could potentially be bad for business.

Video calls, conference calls, emails and social networks may provide a quick but impersonal avenue for people to interact, but the study from De Vere Hotels has revealed that the British believe, meeting face-to-face………..

Psychologist says 90% of real communication is via body language – first published on http://www.incentivetravel.co.uk/

It is obviously in the interests of the MICE sector to be in favour of face-to-face meetings. The whole of the conference industry – worth many billions of dollars worldwide – might be seen to be threatened by the advance of technology. It is putting amazing facilities at the service of people who can now instantaneously discuss topics without the need to travel to meet each other.
So why is it preferable for people to be actually in each other’s presence rather than at each end of a social networking system or a conference call? De Vere Hotels, proud of their portfolio of nine conference hotels strategically located from Brighton beach to the Scottish Highlands, have been researching into this vital question. 

They commissioned an independent research company to delve into this crucial matter and over 2,000 people in the UK were questioned between March 15 and 2nd April this year.

The results were scrutinised by the behavioural psychologist Dr Peter Collett. He says that as much as……………………

Acing Your First Face-to-Face Customer Meeting

Apr. 29, 2013Jessica Davis | MSPmentor

Are you making the most of your first face-to-face meetings with new customers? What are the best practices to make a great first impression, and how do you solidify that new relationship? Those are the questions that sales expert Geoffrey James sought to answer recently. Here’s what you need to know.

James, writing in his Sales Source column for Inc. Magazine provided the following tips and lessons for that all important first meeting with your new customers. The following is a sampling of James’ tips are:……

 

 

The following slide show shows you how networking and social media go hand in hand!

Click on image to see the whole show

Harness The Power Of Storytelling In Business

VALERIE KHOO first published 4 OCTOBER 2012 on 

Stories. You might think these are just for writers or movie-makers. Or those who want to pen the next 50 Shades Of Grey. But storytelling is also a vital skill in the world of business. If you get it right, your stories can convert customers, inspire your team and nurture a legion of raving fans.

Why Is Storytelling So Powerful?

Your comments and shares are most appreciated!